450 apartments, two retail centers planned in South Whitehall

Developer wants to build on 40 acres off Cetronia Road in the township.

A New Jersey developer is hoping to put 450 high-end apartments, two retail… (CONTRIBUTED IMAGE )

August 16, 2013|By Margie Peterson, Special to The Morning Call

A New Jersey developer is hoping to put 450 high-end apartments, two retail centers and a boutique grocery store behind St. Luke's West End Medical Center off Cetronia Road in South Whitehall.

Representatives of Kushner Real Estate Group of Bridgewater, N.J., known as KRE, on Thursday night told the township Planning Commission of proposed plans for 40 acres currently owned by Marvin Bortz.

Each apartment building would have four floors and elevators and contain about 45 units, according to Thomas Gough, KRE director of construction and development. The buildings would have a pool and clubhouse. There would be sidewalks everywhere to make it pedestrian-friendly.

"We not only develop but we manage and own these properties," Gough said. "We're not interested in developing and leaving."

A walkway would connect the apartments to two 5,000-square-foot retail centers and a possible boutique grocery store.

"We think we've designed this project to make it walkable," Gough said.

He said KRE would expect to do at least $2 million in road improvements to Cetronia and adjacent roads. The land, which is zoned highway commercial, borders the Lexus of Lehigh Valley dealership and Route 309.

KRE has a similar project in the works on Freemansburg Avenue in Bethlehem Township called Madison Farms. That development is expected to include 300 housing units and a retail complex.